President's Message
A Message from Kristine Klein
Welcome!
We are an all-volunteer non-profit whose members and volunteers are passionate about and dedicated to preserving Mount Hope Cemetery. Our mission is to optimize the cemetery’s potential as a cultural resource through education, preservation, and promotion of the cemetery’s unique heritage. We see Mount Hope Cemetery as an outdoor museum filled with history, art, architecture, flora, and fauna. Also, we are storytellers of hundreds of intriguing stories about Rochester’s history as well as those of the many residents who now rest in the cemetery.
To accomplish our mission, we raise funds through memberships, tours, donations, and special events; most of the money we raise is used for restoration and landscape maintenance. We repair and clean headstones, purchase and plant trees, and work with the city to keep the cemetery looking beautiful.
During our season, which runs from May through October, we offer a variety of tours:
- Theme tours are offered every Saturday at 11 AM. These focus on a specific topic or era.
- Twilight tours take place on Thursday nights starting at 6:30 PM. These run through August 10, 2023.
- General tours are on Sunday afternoons starting at 1 PM. These foundational tours are great for families and guests from out of town.
We also offer tours for schools, businesses, families, or groups. Visit our group visits page to learn more about how you can arrange a tour for your group.
We could not do what we do without our fantastic volunteers. They lead tours, help maintain the cemetery, plant and care for cradle graves, as well as completing a host of other projects. Visit our volunteer opportunities page – you may find an opportunity right for you!
Our membership program is a great way to learn about our organization and support our efforts. As a member, you can take most of our tours for free (we offer over 100 tours during the season), receive our quarterly magazine, The Epitaph, and an e-newsletter filling you in on our tours and other activities.
I could go about this incredible organization and its members and volunteers, but I wanted to give you a glimpse into the awesome things we do. Please enjoy and support our efforts - take a tour, walk through the cemetery, browse our website, or drop us a note.
And special thanks to our members and volunteers for how much time, effort, and money you have donated to help keep the cemetery a fantastic treasure for the Rochester community.
Remember - Mount Hope Cemetery belongs to all of us!
Kristine Klein
President
June 2023
Partnering with the City of Rochester
Mount Hope is a municipal cemetery, owned and operated by the City of Rochester. The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery collaborate with the management of the Cemetery on a regular basis. Jarod Terrell, Cemetery Manager, attends FOMH monthly Board Meetings and meets with representatives of the Friends every two weeks to coordinate activities.
Tour schedules are added a year in advance to the cemetery calendar and printed on the City of Rochester website. Restoration projects and grant applications are always presented in advance to the Cemetery Manager for his approval. The FOMH operates the Second Saturday volunteer program and assists with the Annual Day of Caring as a service to the City.
The Friends are in regular contact with Jason Madison, Grounds Superintendent, regarding restoration and landscape projects. We are grateful to the secretarial staff who are always helpful and patient with all our inquiries. We admire the hard work of the grounds workers who work diligently to maintain the cemetery’s 196 acres.
The Friends of Mount Hope appreciate the support and goodwill of the cemetery staff. They are partners in our mission, and we are grateful.
Kristine Klein
President
Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery